…one writing step at a time

My 2017 Writing Plan

In 2015 I’d created a writing plan for 2016 that went against my nature, the nature of being a slow writer. In some ways it did work.

I started revising my NaNoWriMo 2015 novels Dreaming of You and The Soul Traveler. Had another successful National Poetry Month. And my first blog tour for my poetry chapbook Can You Catch My Flow? Finally took my mythic fantasy work in progress, Harbingers of El Tinor, off of hiatus for NaNoWriMo 2016.

Yet my ultimate goal for 2017 is to finally add the greatest words in the dictionary at the end of my work in progress. “The End.” And with 2016 nearing it’s end, it’s safe to say that segmenting the year in quarters for my WIP doesn’t work of me. As Douglas Adams said, “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.”

So what is my writing plan for 2017? A bit more flexible and less granular than 2016. Now that NaNoWriMo is over I’ll be focusing on my adult romance Dreaming of You until the end of the year. And aim to complete the manuscript by the end of February/March.

April is National Poetry Month and for 2017 I’ll be featuring the poetry of four poets. Maya Angelou is one of those poets and just need to figure out the other three. I’ve also been thinking of turning Triplicity (temporary name) from a full-length book into a chapbook. If so, it’ll be my second poetry chapbook. I’ve yet to decide whether I’ll self-publish or submit it for publishing to a press. Or enter the manuscript to chapbook competitions.

I usually take a much needed blogging break right after poetry month and until the end of August. But I might be camping in July to work on Harbingers of El Tinor. Or Dreaming of You, Nadia the Fire Witch and or The Soul Traveler. And until the end of the year.

I honestly don’t know which WIP or two, will have my sole focus in 2017 yet I see an advantage in my indecision. If one WIP comes to a halt, there’s three others to choose from. I also still stand firm on starting any new works. So those two story ideas I came up with during NaNoWriMo will have to wait their turn.

Amidst everything, will submit to more poetry magazines, publishes, presses, etc. like it’s 1999. With sites like New Pages Classified and Published to Death to help find calls for submissions.

How was 2016 for you? What are your plans for 2017? Looking forward to 2017?

I find it interesting how different people approach writing. With a full time job and two young children I have tried the deadlines thing and it does nothing for me. It just adds stress when I can’t write for a day. This year I tried to just do some writing and I have somehow written more than I ever have this year. So that will be my plan for next year too. I just need to be strict and say, this project first, then that one, then this one after.
I hope your writing goes well in 2017 and you get a few more things published. Good luck and I think leaving those two ideas till later is a good idea.

Work full-time and have 2 children too. And with 2 elementary age children, technically I’m back to school too. You’d think that after you graduate you were done but with helping out with homework and projects, might as well be back in school. It’s a wonder to get any writing down but that’s why I love bedtime. I write while they sleep.
Thanks for stopping by and may 2017 be a great writing year for us all! 😀

I would really like to finish one of my numerous WIPs, (maybe even two!) polish it and start to look for a home for it. I would want to keep on writing short stories, blog posts and author interviews ad would be cool to start some cooperative projects.
Good luck to your projects and happy writing 🙂
Fanni S

Sounds like an exciting year for you, Lidy. I do look forward to 2017 (why not, right?) and will clear my work by next week so I can make solid plans in the remaining two weeks of the year. Merry X’mas and have a happy 2017!

Every year I learn something new about writing and how deadlines and plans work for me. 🙂 Next year I have several projects planned, and am going to set deadlines for them throughout the year. I’m hoping to release at least two books–maybe three depending on how things go–but most importantly, I’m going to work at a pace that suits me better than the one I tried to keep this year.